LOVE BEYOND WORDS is Kenneth Montegrande’s 16th solo exhibition, and it is the culmination of a year-long celebration of his first decade in the visual arts. Tracing his encounter with abstract art a decade ago as a media strategist, Montegrande recalls seeing the paintings of Pancho Piano, Al Perez, Nemi Miranda, and other artists at an Intramuros Administration event he was handling; and having the immediate urge to paint as soon as he went home. Compelled, he painted his first works upon reaching home despite his lack of exposure and training.
In this exhibition, Montegrande looks back on what has propelled him forward to achieve the various milestones in his artistic career, such as the recognition for being the first Southeast Asian artist whose works are housed in collection of Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese tycoon and director of the Contemporary Arts Foundation. Another milestone was being the youngest artist to exhibit at the Malacanan Palace Museum and be included in its prestigious collection as well as being featured as a guest artist in museums like Fundacion Sanso.
In this solo exhibition at ManilArt 2022, with Galleria Nicolas are 21 paintings comprising of six abstracts and fifteen of his coveted cloudscapes and seascapes. As with most of his exhibitions, the works are as much as a testament of faith, as they are personal expressions of his artistic vision. Of his first decade, Montegrande recognizes the role of his relationship with God as one of Love Beyond Words. In the many tribulations he has faced, faith was a constant; as well as in the achievements which he attributes as blessings.
While the exhibition is ongoing, Montegrande has already shared the next step for him. On the first half of 2023 is a solo with Galerie Joaquin that doubles as a book launch. As a sign of his commitment to his collectors, he will publish the works he has made thus far, and document them in book form. Plans are also in the way to do a reprise of his fundraiser to help bolster the young artists’ scholarship fund of Fundacion Sanso, to which he has donated in 2020 a fund enough to sustain several scholars.
Kenneth Montegrande’s “Love Beyond Words” will be on view at Booth C3 of ManilArt 2022, located at the 3rd Level of SMX Convention Center, SM Aura, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig from October 19 to 23, 2022.
